T20 World Cup 2026 Shock: Pat Cummins Ruled Out, Steve Smith Omitted — Check Australia’s Final Squad

The T20 World Cup 2026 tournament will begin in several days, but Australia now faces a significant problem because star fast bowler Pat Cummins cannot compete in the event because of his ongoing back problems. The pacer had struggled with the issue during the recent Ashes series, where he featured in only one Test, which led to Australian selectors deciding to limit his playing time while they monitored his condition and upcoming matches. The team misses its most important player through Cummins who leads the team as its most experienced member.

Australia T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

T20 World Cup 2026 Shock: Pat Cummins Ruled Out, Why?

The selectors chose to build their team around a flexible bowling strategy which required them to drop veteran batter Steve Smith and all-rounder Matt Short from the squad. Chief selector Tony Dodemaide confirmed that left arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis has been drafted in as Cummins’ replacement, highlighting the need for variety in the attack. According to Dodemaide, Pat requires additional recovery time which Ben will provide through his left arm pace skills and his strong fielding and lower order hitting proficiency. The tournament conditions will benefit from his ability to swing the ball and use different pitching techniques. Smith’s omission was largely expected because the former captain of the team had already declared that he would not play in the T20 World Cup because of his competition with other players for the opening position.

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